What does ecumenicism mean?
Ecumenicism is the principle, and often the active movement, of promoting unity and cooperation among the world's Christian churches. It encompasses efforts by Catholics, Protestants, Orthodox believers, and other denominations to overcome historical divisions through shared worship, theological dialogue, and joint social action, and it is sometimes extended to describe openness toward other faiths more generally. The word derives from the Greek oikoumenē, meaning 'the whole inhabited world,' which gives it a built-in sense of universality. Ecumenicism carries a positive connotation of reconciliation, humility, and breadth of spirit, and it stands opposed to sectarianism and narrow denominational loyalty. In modern English the shorter synonym 'ecumenism' is used far more frequently, but 'ecumenicism' remains fully standard, appearing chiefly in formal, academic, and religious contexts such as theology, church history, and coverage of interchurch bodies like the World Council of Churches.
nounThe principle or aim of promoting unity among the world's Christian churches; the practice of fostering cooperation and understanding across different denominations.
- The principle or movement promoting unity and cooperation among the world's Christian churches and denominations.
- More broadly, a spirit of universality or worldwide scope, extending beyond strictly Christian contexts.
"The council's statement reflected a growing spirit of ecumenicism among the Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox delegates."
"Decades of patient ecumenicism finally bore fruit when the two churches agreed to share communion."
"His writings display an ecumenicism that draws freely on Buddhist, Islamic, and Christian thought."
Rarely pluralized; the uncountable singular is standard, since the word denotes an abstract principle rather than countable instances.
"Historians have traced several distinct ecumenicisms across the twentieth century, each shaped by its own era's anxieties."
Its Greek root, oikoumenē, literally means 'the whole inhabited world' — so ecumenicism is, at its heart, an ambition for all humanity to share one home.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of ecumenicism
Ecumenicism ultimately derives from the Greek oikoumenē (gē), 'the inhabited world,' a feminine participle of oikein, 'to dwell,' itself rooted in oikos, 'house.' The related adjective 'ecumenical' entered English via Latin oecumenicus and French in the 16th–17th centuries, originally describing the worldwide councils of the early church. The nouns 'ecumenism' and 'ecumenicism' arose later, gaining prominence in the 20th century alongside the modern movement for church unity. The same Greek household root also yields words such as 'economy' (household management) and 'ecology' (study of the household of nature).
Related word forms
How ecumenicism is actually used
A formal, largely religious term most at home in theological writing, church documents, and journalism about interchurch relations. It carries a positive connotation of openness and reconciliation. In everyday usage, 'ecumenism' is considerably more frequent than 'ecumenicism', though both are accepted.
Easily confused with ecumenicism
Ecumenism is the far more common synonym for the same idea, while 'ecumenicism' is a slightly longer variant form of the identical concept.
'Ecumenical' is the adjective describing things that promote church-wide unity, whereas 'ecumenicism' is the noun for the principle or movement itself.